Azernews.Az

The situation remains tense on the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops, Vagif Dargahli, spokesman for the Azerbaijani defense ministry, told Trend.

He said that the Armenian armed forces were firing on the positions of the Azerbaijani armed forces in the direction of Terter, Fizuli, Agredere districts and settlements with the civilian population April 2 night.

The Azerbaijani side suffered no losses, the statement said.

The Azerbaijani armed forces continue monitoring the situation on the contact line.

The counter-attack was made following provocations of the Armenian armed forces on the night of April 2, which resulted in deaths and injuries of civilians.

Six Armenian tanks, 15 gun mounts and reinforced engineering structures have been destroyed and more than 100 servicemen of the Armenian armed forces were wounded and killed during the fights, the ministry said.

Twelve servicemen of the Azerbaijani armed forces heroically died, one Mi-24 helicopter was shot down and one tank damaged by a mine, according to the ministry.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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